From Ruth’s House Inc.

At its July 12 meeting, Ruth’s House Inc., Beaufort County’s Domestic Violence program, installed its 2016-17 officers of its Board of Directors, and two new board members. Officers are: Stacy Drakeford, president; Deb Ryals, past-president; Lou Montana-Rhodes, vice-president; Carol Kinnion, secretary; and John Rebholz, treasurer.

Drakeford is director of Washington Police and Fire Services. Ryals is a social worker, and served as president of Ruth’s House since its inception in 2011. Montana-Rhodes is the vice president of Patient Care Services at Vidant Beaufort Hospital. Kinnion is the director of nursing at the Beaufort County Health Department. Rebholz is retired after a long career in business and management.

Our new board members are Jacinta Jones, an attorney in private practice who recently opened an office in Washington, and Mark Eakes, who has more than 40 years of experience in human resource management and is retired from Stanadyne.

“In this turbulent time in America, we tend to be concerned about the latest news event. However, domestic violence is an everyday issue that we, as citizens, need to be involved in, from volunteering, to making donations to this worthy cause. Domestic violence affects every demographic in our County. We must not give up the fight to stop domestic violence. In this effort, it is an honor and a privilege to serve as the president of Ruth’s House,” Drakeford said.

Ruth’s House Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c) 3, dedicated to eliminating domestic violence in Beaufort County. It operates a safe house, and offers a 24-hour hotline. Other services available to both women and men include: safety planning, counseling, court advocacy, life skills training, coordination with other county services to meet needs such as job training, and other services tailored to meet the needs of individual clients. For more information, or to request a speaker for your club or organization, please call 252-940-0007.